Access Goodhue County Genealogy Records
Goodhue County genealogy records are held at the county courthouse in Red Wing, at the Goodhue County Historical Society, and through state archives and the MNGenWeb project. The county's records cover births, deaths, marriages, land transactions, census data, photographs, and local history going back to early settlement along the Mississippi River.
Goodhue County Overview
Goodhue County Historical Society
The Goodhue County Historical Society at 1166 Oak St in Red Wing holds an extensive collection of local history materials for genealogy research. The society maintains photographs, artifacts, and a research library that includes records for families from throughout Goodhue County. Their collection covers the county's major towns including Red Wing, Cannon Falls, Zumbrota, and smaller communities.
The museum is open Tuesday through Friday from 10am to 4pm and Saturday from 10am to 3pm. The research library is open by appointment only and requires 24 hours notice. The library is closed on Saturdays even when the museum is open. The museum also closes when Red Wing Public Schools close due to inclement weather, so call ahead before traveling on uncertain days.
Admission is $5 for adults, $2 for ages 13 to 18, and free for children 12 and under and for members. A research library appointment is worth scheduling if you have specific family names to look up, since staff can direct you to the most relevant collections.
| Organization | Goodhue County Historical Society |
|---|---|
| Address | 1166 Oak St, Red Wing, MN 55066 |
| Hours | Tue-Fri 10am-4pm, Sat 10am-3pm |
| Research Library | By appointment (24 hours notice required) |
| Admission | Adults $5, Ages 13-18 $2, Under 12 Free |
| Website | goodhuecountyhistory.org |
Goodhue County Recorder
The Goodhue County Recorder in Red Wing is the official office for vital records and land records in the county. Birth certificates, death records, and marriage licenses are held there, along with deed books and plat maps. For certified copies of vital records, contact the recorder directly or use the Minnesota Department of Health for records in the state system.
Marriage records have been kept at the county level since the 1850s. Land records go back similarly far and are useful for tracing property lines through generations of a family.
| Office | Goodhue County Recorder |
|---|---|
| Location | Red Wing, MN |
| Records Held | Birth, death, marriage, land records |
| State Vital Records | Minnesota Department of Health |
Goodhue County MNGenWeb
The Goodhue County MNGenWeb site is a free online resource for Goodhue County genealogy as part of the statewide MNGenWeb project. The site includes transcribed records, contributed family research, and links to digitized sources for the county. It is a good first stop for online research before contacting the historical society or recorder.
The MNGenWeb site covers Goodhue County's many townships including Belle Creek, Belvidere, Cannon Falls, Cherry Grove, Featherstone, Florence, Goodhue, Hay Creek, Holden, Kenyon, Leon, Minneola, Pine Island, Roscoe, Stanton, Vasa, Wacouta, Wanamingo, Warsaw, Welch, and Zumbrota. Records for ghost towns like Aspelund, Belle Creek, and Welch may also appear in the site's contributed data.
The Goodhue County MNGenWeb site links to free transcribed records and contributed family research that volunteers have posted for this southeastern Minnesota county.
Goodhue County Historical Society Collections
The historical society in Red Wing holds photographs, artifacts, and an active research library that covers families from across the county. Their collection is particularly strong for Red Wing families given the city's prominence in the county's past, but records for smaller communities like Cannon Falls, Zumbrota, and Kenyon are also well represented.
The Goodhue County Historical Society website has information about their collections and research library. Contact them in advance for a research appointment, especially if you need to access older records not digitized online. The library appointment system ensures you get dedicated time with staff who know the collection well.
The Goodhue County Historical Society's research library in Red Wing holds family files, photographs, and local records that go beyond what state databases provide.
Goodhue County Government Records
The Goodhue County Government website lists county offices and contact information for departments that handle official records. The county courthouse in Red Wing holds court records, probate files, and administrative documents going back to the county's formation.
The Goodhue County courthouse in Red Wing houses probate records, court documents, land files, and vital records that researchers use for family history work.
How to Search Goodhue County Records
Start with the MHS People Records Search at the Minnesota Historical Society. This free tool covers birth records from 1900 to 1934, death records from 1904 to 2001, and state census data from 1849 to 1905. It is the quickest way to confirm basic facts before digging into county-level sources.
For marriage records, the Minnesota Official Marriage System (MOMS) includes Goodhue County marriages and allows you to search by name, county, or date. You can order certified copies directly from the site. The Red Wing Public Library also has some genealogy resources that may be worth checking for locally focused materials.
Census records for Goodhue County from 1850 to 1940 are available through FamilySearch and Ancestry.com. These can place ancestors in specific townships and reveal household details not found in vital records alone. For land patents, the BLM GLO Records database covers Goodhue County's original federal land grants.
Note: Goodhue County has a number of ghost towns that no longer appear on maps. Records for families from those communities may be filed under the township name rather than the former town name.
Minnesota Historical Society
The Minnesota Historical Society Library in St. Paul holds naturalization records, military files, and newspaper collections covering Goodhue County. The MHS Digital Newspaper Hub has searchable historical papers that may include old Red Wing papers with obituaries and family notices.
The MHS library reading room is open to researchers and staff can help identify Goodhue County collections. For military records, the MHS holds state-level materials that complement federal records at the National Archives.
Nearby Counties
Goodhue County borders several counties where related family records may be found. Early settlers in this area often moved between counties as land became available.